Beyblade Metal Masters: Secrets
by MoonstoneWings
Summary: Sort of-sequel to The Good Ol' Days. So, all readers of The Good Ol' Days read and review this too! Answers all questions. DISCLAIMER: I only own my OCs and everything about them. PLEASE REVIEW! A lot of OC romance, I guess... OC X Zeo Abyss, OC X Toby and OC X Chao Xin
1. Japan's Selection Tournament

**Angel's P.O.V:**

"The world championships," I whispered, "finally!"

Beside me, Riko was jumping. "I'll win!" she declared. "I'll win and those amateur bladers will go running to their mommies . . . !"

"Whoa!" I shook her shoulders. "Snap out of it! Anyway, you know you'll never beat me!"

Riko glared at me. "Way to ruin the moment, Angel."

I chuckled. "Just being realistic." It was true. Me and my bey, Mystic Cantio, had come a long way. I hadn't entered in the Battle Bladers competition (Of course, Riko and I saw right through the madness –we both knew that everyone would end up as prey to Ryuga, who just happened to be my brother), but I would have easily won (except I would have faced my crazed brother, but yeah).

She rolled her eyes. "Of course, of course. But I'm going to be in Team Japan! What about you?"

I bit my lip. I had other plans, plans I couldn't reveal to anyone yet. "I'm still thinking about it."

"But then, you're signing up for the battles that will determine who's going to make it into Team Japan, so . . . ?" She stared at me incredulously. I shrugged, turning away from her and gazing at the big screen, showing the stadium.

"We'd better get going," I said finally, dragging her into the huge building where the matches were scheduled.

Inside, Blader DJ was announcing the rules. We hurried to our positions in the center along with the others. I gazed into the sea of faces, a few standing out to me: Yuu, Kyoya, Tsubasa, Kenta - and this really loud, obnoxious kid with black, spiked up hair who kept declaring that he was the Number One Blader.

"Yeah, right," I snickered, itching to beat the pants off of him.

"So, you all have ten minutes to go around beybattling," Blader DJ told us, "and in the end, the first two people with the most points are automatically in the team, while the third and fourth battle to see who will be the sub, and an actual member. Gingka Hagane here—"

The huge plasma screen showed Gingka banging on the glass, begging to be let out so he could battle. "—is automatically the leader of the team, having won Battle Bladers. So, on your mark, get set, go!"

I scrambled into a fast pace, searching for 'The Number One Blader' when someone blocked my path.

"You're not going anywhere until you lose against me," the mischievous voice said playfully. I rolled my eyes.

"_Right_. As if anyone in their right mind would lose to you, Kyoya," I retorted.

"So . . . you're saying that 1,462 people aren't in their right mind?" he asked.

I knew it was meant to be a rhetorical question, yet I answered, "Those guys are amateurs. We're talking about people like me."

Kyoya smirked. "Whatever. Let it—"

"Rip!" we both yelled at the same time, hastily brandishing our beys and launching them.

"Leone, Lion Gale Force Wall!" he shouted. A giant tornado erupted from his bey, and I calmly let it swallow Cantio in. He gazed, confused. "Why did you-?" Realization dawned to him as he realized what I was planning. "Leone, stop!"

But it was too late. Quickly I commanded, "Cantio, Golden Illusion!" My bey replicated itself, forming dozens of tangible look-alikes. They all jammed through 'the eye of the storm' and the impact of a dozen beys slamming Leone square on the facebolt was too much pressure. Stadium out as Leone flew through the air.

It would have gotten cracked if Kyoya didn't have the sense to swoop up and catch it.

I smiled sweetly. "What do you think?"

"Not bad," he growled, "but not good either."

"Now, get out of my way," I said, shoving him. "I need to find the Number One Blader."

Kyoya's eyes widened. "Who?"

"Some loud kid with black hair . . ."

He didn't bother to stifle his laugh. "Oh, you mean Masamune Kadoya? Tough luck. You'll beat him easily. He's all talk, no action."

"Oh," I replied, somewhat disappointed. Masamune. Somehow, I knew him…but no good rival for me, then. "Well, time's running out. See ya!"

In response, he playfully kissed my cheek and darted away before I could clobber him. This had been going on for ages. He knew that I had hated it when he'd had a tiny crush on me before. He had gotten over it, but wouldn't stop pestering me.

The thing was, he's Riko's brother. Big surprise, huh? Well, anyway, everyone knows how awkward it is when your best friend's brother likes you . . . yeah.

During the remaining five minutes, I battled (and won!) against lots of other old rivals, and some strangers, steering clear of Riko. I knew she just didn't want to lose against me, so I spared her for once.

I battled with Yuu, Kenta, and Tsubasa, winning each time, and about ten other random people.

Finally, Blader DJ called out, "Time's up! Let's view the scores!"

The blader's picture and number of points were displayed on the screen. That Masamune guy came out fourth. Not as good as I thought . . . And surprisingly, third was Kyoya. Riko got second! _Nice,_ I thought. And lastly . . . I had pulled off first place in the match.

Applause burst from all corners, but I gave a soft sigh. Time for my big speech.

Just as Gingka was rushing out, probably to congratulate Kyoya, his greatest rival, I spoke up, "Winning the tournament was nice and all, but I'll pass being a member."

Everyone stared at me as if I were crazy. A place in the championships! Who would refuse?

_Me!_

"I have other things in mind," I continued, "So I guess Tsubasa is in the competition now." He had gotten fifth. Now that I was gone, he had moved up a spot. "I was really just in it for the fun. And to show off." I grinned at Riko, who looked like she had been hit by a truck.

There was silence. Then a flabbergasted voice spoke, "I was going to say the same thing..."

I turned. Kyoya looked at me in amazement. He had been planning the same plot. I smirked, thinking, _Bet I've ruined his speech and exit._ I was sure that he didn't know my reason behind it. But I knew his.

"You want to battle _against_ Gingka, not with him," I realized.

He nodded. Then he turned to Gingka. "You're my rival, Gingka. We will never be allies. Well, see ya!"

He walked out curtly. I ran over to Riko and hugged her. "Sorry if this isn't what you expected..."

I didn't expect her to break into a huge grin. "What?" I asked, confused.

"I'll get to battle you in the championships!" she squealed.

"We don't know for sure," I told her, "We might not get to—"

"We will," she said firmly, "You and I'll make sure. Agreed?" I nodded, too stunned to speak. She was never usually this certain about her bold statements. "Plus . . ." Her smile grew bigger. "There are two less lunatics on the team!" She darted away before I could swat her arm. "And Yuu's on the team now!" she said gleefully.

It was true. Yuu had gotten sixth. Now he was boosted to fourth. He would battle with Tsubasa to decide who the sub and the actual member would be. And I would travel the world, joining every tournament to try to get into their teams. This was part of my plan - no one would ever figure out which team I had actually joined. And I would have data on every team member; it was a win-win situation!

But that still wasn't the whole story.

I cringed. _I'd almost failed before,_ I thought, _But that won't happen again._

"Well, bye," I said, "See you in the World Championships!"

And with that, I disappeared out of the arena.


	2. Wang Hu Zhong

**Riko's P.O.V:**

I watched as Angel disappeared from the arena. I was sad for one thing, about not being able to battle with her, but at the same time, I was ecstatic about battling AGAINST her! I looked at Masamune (self-proclaimed number one blader), Tsubasa (who of course was too cool to jump around, squealing like I had), and Yuu (who in fact WAS jumping around, squealing like I had).

Gingka was finally let out. It seems he had been battling against a difficult, extreme opponent in the office upstairs . . . The Mighty Chair. Go figure.

"And now," Blader DJ announced, "the match between Tsubasa and Yuu will start! Get ready!" Tsubasa and Yuu took their places. "Three . . . Two . . . One . . ."

"LET IT RIP!" they yelled, launching their beys.

I zoned out for a while, staring into space until I heard something. Of course, I'd been listening to the monotonous clashes and all, but I jolted up when I heard . . . a scream. Not a high one, but filled with desire and terror.

_Odd combination of emotions._

Then I saw the source.

A dark aura was circling Tsubasa, and his eyes had turned a nasty crimson red. A twisted smile was set on his face as he yelled, "_I MUST WIN_!"

"Oh, crap," I muttered. _Not good._ I suspected that it was from battling Ryuga in Battle Bladers; Ryuga's evil must have seeped into him. Or something like that.

Okay, in general, suddenly turning evil and screaming your head off is bad news. But you know how it gets worse? If the opponent is an innocent eight-year-old boy.

Yuu looked on, half-confused, half-terrified as Tsubasa commanded his bey to strike Libra harder and harder. Then Yuu started gazing into space with this terrorized look on his face. I wanted to punch Tsubasa and knock some sense into him.

Soon enough, the battle was decided with Eagle sending Libra flying straight into Yuu's hands. Libra wasn't damaged that seriously or anything, but Yuu stared at his frenemy (friend/enemy) in horror. Then the purple aura lifted and Tsubasa gazed at his hands, whispering, "What have I done...?"

I decided to let it go this once. Getting to my feet, I walked over to where the rest of the team was asking Tsubasa if he was all right and fussing over Yuu. Then I spoke up: "I'll be the sub."

Everyone looked at me as if I was crazy.

"I'm serious. That way, no one will know my real power. It'll be fine." I waited for a response. The response turned out to be Yuu's face lighting up in a _huge_ smile.

"YA-A-Y! I'm not the sub! Awesome!" He went on jumping around in joy as the rest of us parted to pack.

It turned out we were going to China. We were battling the Chinese team, Team Wang Hu Zhong. Masamune and Gingka were excited about Chinese food, while I sighed. _Can't we be going to some place less historic?_

As I packed my things, I thought again about Angel. I had no clue what team she'd be joining, but I hope we'd meet in one of the tournaments. In two days, we'd set off to China.

In the meantime, I guess I'd be practicing.

**Angel's P.O.V:**

I gazed at Beylin Temple. Four thousand years old, huh?

_It sure looks like it. _

Bladers were doing some extensive practice. Then I saw someone who stood out . . . This guy standing in the middle of a bunch of fangirls, signing autographs.

What was _he _doing here, in an ancient temple, basking in the glow of squealing girls? Interesting . . .

Anyway, I had more important things to do. I knew he was a part of Team Wang Hu Zhong, but I wanted to battle the leader, not him. Still, who else would know where the Chinese team was if he didn't? So I walked over to the crowd.

He saw me. "Hey," he said smoothly. "So, I take it you want an autograph?"

"Um, no," I replied. I could feel the glares of fifty girls burning a hole through my back. "I want to know . . . where's the rest of Team Wang Hu Zhong?"

He laughed. "Training. In there. As usual."

"Well, thanks." I turned to leave, but he grabbed my hand.

"Want me to show you?" he asked. Now the glares had started corroding my skin and bones.

"Um, you seem busy enough . . ." I trailed off, staring pointedly at the huge number of fangirls holding on to him.

"Don't worry about it." He shrugged lightly and slightly shoved the arms of the girls off him. "C'mon."

My back was gone.

All I was thinking was, _WHAT A FLIRT!_

A lot of girls seemed obsessed with his hair and eyes and everything else. I wasn't impressed as much. Maybe it was the fact that he was too easy to lose. But either way, better walking into Beylin Temple with a guide rather than wandering around aimlessly. So I followed him.

Soon enough, I was in Wang Hu Zhong's training room.

Everyone stopped their training and stared at me. Not every day some random girl comes from out of the country to speak to the team.

Finally the leader shouted, "Chao Xin, haven't I told you _not to bring your fangirls into the training room_!"

Ugh. He thought I was a fangirl. Well, time for me to speak up.

"I came here to battle you guys," I said boldly. Because though the team was already selected, the rules clearly stated that if a person were to defeat any one of the team members, they were allowed a spot on the team. If the tournament hasn't already started, of course.

But the leader sighed, exasperated. "Chao Xin, when I say _guard Beylin Temple and stop outsiders from entering_, I didn't mean _invite outsiders inside the training room so we can have a nice chat and they can find out all our tactics_!"

Chao Xin glanced at me, surprised. He must have been convinced that any girl who came over to him wanted his autograph. I sighed; the team leader misunderstood me again.

I took a deep breath. I was losing patience. When he tried to usher me out, I lost my head. "I DON'T WANT TO KNOW YOUR TACTICS!" I shouted, gaining the attention of not only the entire Team Wang Hu Zhong but also all the other Beylin Temple bladers. Whoops.

Then someone squeaked out, "Then why are you here?" Great. Now I intimidated them.

"Have you read the rulebook?" I asked in a more composed tone.

The leader looked confused for a second. Then understanding colored his featured. "Ah."

"So now that you're _enlightened_, how about a battle?" I questioned, fake sweetness practically dripping from my words.

"Right." Then in a flash, the whole team drew their beys out.

"Hold it!" I demanded. "The rules say I only have to defeat _one_ of you!"

"Yes," the leader replied cryptically.

"So I'm only battling ONE of you," I explained.

"The rules didn't say that," Chao Xin said bluntly.

"Exactly," the girl on the team said. "So, we'll have a group battle. And if you can manage to defeat even _one_ of us, you get the plot!"

"Um, don't you mean, 'she gets the _spot_' Mei-Mei?" Chao Xin corrected, causing her to go red.

"But isn't that four against one?" I pouted.

"You only have to defeat one of us," the leader said again.

Something didn't seem right, but I shrugged it off; I could handle it. "Fine."

"Three…" I whipped out my launcher.

"Two…" I slammed my bey into it.

"One…" I took a deep breath and prepared to launch.

"LET IT RIP!"


	3. Truth or Dare?

**Angel's P.O.V:**

My bey zoomed across the stadium, picking up speed.

The battle went on for a long time, with everyone shouting out special moves. Except the team leader; he just _stood_ there, not commanding his bey to do anything, just occasionally commanding it to dodge attacks. He squinted at me with suspicion. He thought I was up to something. That I was, but of course, I couldn't reveal my plans.

In a while, I was ready to just end the whole thing, because I was getting tired and impatient. That, and I hadn't even defeated anyone yet. So I commanded my bey to attack hard.

But suddenly another bey stopped it. The pink-colored one. The short guy who owned it yelled, "Strike it hard, Lacerta!"

I smirked. "Cantio, Invisible Barrier!" For a split second the stadium was engulfed in gold. Then it disappeared.

"Virgo! Blue Dragon Whirlwind Sword!" Chao Xin intervened, taking me by surprise. His bey attacked head on in a way a chainsaw would. My bey was rotating very slowly now.

He looked shocked that I actually had the nerve to smile at him. Because I knew something he didn't.

Just as he began to deliver a final attack, Mei-Mei's bey, an Aquario, struck it instead. I sighed, annoyed. _I hate battle royales. _They were so unpredictable. Especially if it was four against one. I noticed the team leader hadn't made his move yet. He seemed convinced that I wouldn't last long enough to be a worthy opponent anyway, and he still looked at me, suspicious.

Then, when Mei-Mei's Aquario hit my bey to send it flying, the barrier everyone but me forgot about reappeared, and the attack bounced back. It was Aquario that got a stadium out. I was just celebrating my victory in my head when a glowing force slammed into it. I gazed, openmouthed, at my bey, which was on the floor, unmoving.

The leader looked contrite. But before he could say anything, I interrupted hastily. "Please, spare me the lecture. I know I got distracted and I didn't pay attention." He nodded, satisfied.

"So, I guess this means you're in now," Mei-Mei said, looking frankly disappointed that I'd defeated her.

Everyone almost fell over when I burst out laughing.

"No, it means I'm stronger than you," I said between giggles. "See ya!"

I turned around, and the guy who owed Lacerta blurted out, "So you weren't going to join?"

I just lifted my hand in reply, and slowly, dramatically walked towards the exit. I wanted to hear their reactions.

The team leader yelled, "Now she knows all your techniques and power! I _told_ you not to use all your strength!" Actually, he'd said nothing of that sort, but knowing him, he was just trying to get the team to learn their lesson. That was why _he_ hadn't done anything during the battle, after all.

The team mumbled some quick apologies. I was almost out of the temple when I heard Chao Xin call out, "Hey, wait! D'you still want an autograph?"

I rolled my eyes.

_I never did_.

**Riko's P.O.V:**

I jumped up and down, too excited to care about what the others thought. This wasn't the first time I travelled out of the country, but it had been a while since the last time. I surveyed the others. Tsubasa was acting cool as usual, Yuu was gazing at everything, intrigued. Ever since I'd volunteered to be the sub, it was like we were best friends by his standards. Gingka and Masamune were arguing (But what else was new?).

I thought once again about Angel. Where was she now? It would be too much of a coincidence to find her in China. Besides, what would she do _there_ anyway?

Suddenly a voice piped up, "Hi, guys!"

I turned to find Madoka beaming from ear to ear, figuratively glowing like a small golden sun. "Madoka? You're…coming too?" I asked.

"Yes!" she cheered. "I'm the team's support member! How cool is that?"

"Well, that makes another _sane person_." I gazed pointedly at Masamune and Gingka until they stopped fighting and noticed Madoka for the first time.

"Oh, hi, Madoka. So you're part of the team now. Awesome."

"Yeah," Masamune echoed flatly, "awesome."

Then they both resumed fighting.

I got an idea for them to stop. "Gingka and Masamune bicker like an old married couple," I said, loud enough for half the people in the airport passing by to hear. Heads turned, and the two stopped quarrelling immediately, turning a bright, tomato red.

"Very nice," Madoka commented. "Anyway, let's go, guys! The flight is scheduled to leave in…SIX _MINUTES_!"

That got us moving.

We hustled and bustled over to the waiting area, knocking down passersby and once, encountering a cat. (**A/N: CAT! Guess whose?**)

Once we were safely seated in the flight, we gasped in relief. I sat in the middle of Madoka and Yuu. Gingka and Masamune refused to sit next to each other, so Tsubasa ended up in the middle of the two. I pitied him, but then I remembered how he totally lost control in the battle against Yuu.

Eventually, I got so bored that I agreed to the Truth or Dare game that Masamune was persuading everyone to play. Their seats were in the next row, but we could see and hear them just fine.

Masamune started off. We used 'Eenie Meanie Miny Moe' (**A/N: Did I spell that right?**) to decide who he'd ask. His finger ended at Madoka. She fidgeted nervously. "Truth or dare?" he asked. When she chose 'truth', he cackled evilly. I rolled my eyes. He gazed at his fingers, bored. "This is easy; Do you have a crush on Gingka?"

Madoka didn't reply, but the answer was obvious due to her reddening cheeks. I turned to Gingka to see how he'd take the news, and found that he was fast asleep. Well, lucky for her.

Masamune guffawed. "I _knew_ it! I KNEW it!"

I came to her rescue. "Madoka, your turn," I said while Masamune rolled on the floor laughing, literally.

"Um…" She did it, and her pink fingernail was pointed directly at Yuu.

"YAY!" Yuu gave her a huge smile. "Ask-me-ask-me-ask-me!"

"Truth or dare?" she questioned.

His grin grew wider. "Dare."

"Okay," she said uncomfortably. But then she smiled wickedly (I didn't even know she could do that!) and replied, "Yuu, dance to the song 'Best of Both Worlds'."

"But I hate that song!" Yuu whined, and I gasped; that was the worst song in the history of bad songs, and to dance to it? Um, embarrassing much?

But I obliged, "Here's my iPod." I handed it to Madoka, who put the song so it blared loudly. Half the people on the flight turned, openmouthed, to see Yuu reluctantly swinging his arms and doing flimsy karate-kicks.

"With feeling!" Madoka encouraged, and the people started clapping along to the beat. That appealed to Yuu's ego, and he strutted through the flight, striking hilarious poses and waving his hands in the air. He even began singing along with it.

One random person cried out, "So _cute_!" and Yuu beamed in the general direction of the person. People smiled at him from everywhere, and Tsubasa looked disbelieving.

_Well done, Madoka. You've turned Yuu into a celebrity._

When Yuu was back, he was grinning. "Okey-dokes! MY turn!" His finger pointed to me. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," I answered immediately, mostly because I had nothing to hide and partially because I didn't fancy taking bold risks on a flight.

"Okay, would you rather sleep in a hole filled to the brim with slugs or kiss a boy who is older and not directly related to you?"

_Wow, Yuu,_ I thought. _You got me there._ He had to be specific too. Of course, both seemed unappealing, but given the choice…

"Slugs are gross," is what I said in return. I refused to give a more direct answer. Then my finger landed in Tsubasa's direction and we all could see him stiffen.

"Truth or dare?" I asked.

"I-I wasn't playing," he stammered.

"Doesn't matter," I sang. "Truth or dare?"

"Well, truth, obviously."

"Not so obvious. But…anyway." I shrugged. "What's your most embarrassing moment?"

He turned red, but knew that even if he refused to tell us, we'd pester the info right out of him. "Well," he choked out, "it happened when I was seven or so. What can I say? My advice is – head on collision with a rabid lawn-mower equals no good at all." He shuddered. We were silent.

Then Yuu piped up, "So…what are you trying to say?"

"I…um…got my hair shaved off."

"_WHAT_!" everyone screeched. Gingka mumbled in his sleep and turned the other direction.

"Um, also thirteen stitches," he tried to cover up the humiliating part, but the damage was done. Now we all couldn't stop laughing.

Masamune finally called off the game when I asked him if he felt jealous about the fact that Madoka fancied Gingka. Then I settled into my seat, shoving my earphones into my ears and blasting the music into them.

And now we wait.

**Angel's P.O.V:**

I gazed at my surroundings. The hot wind caressed my face, blowing back my hair. It was a bit too warm and dry for my taste, but it would do.

Suddenly, I saw something peculiar.

There was a cloaked figure, dragging chains which were wrapped around a wooden truck, quite possibly loaded with a heavy load. He was surrounded by men with beys, ready to launch. As they exchanged a few spiteful retorts, one of the men kicked open the truck, revealing…

_Rocks!_

Somehow I got this feeling – that I knew this person. But I didn't know where, and every part of his body was cloaked. The men launched their beys. But when he yelled, "Leone, send these guys back to where they came from!" my doubt was confirmed and I nearly got a heart attack.

The cloaked guy was Kyoya. And he was in Africa.


	4. China!

**Angel's P.O.V:**

I gazed at Kyoya as he resumed lugging the huge rocks across the desert. When he failed to glance in my direction, I rolled my eyes.

I ran over to him, and whacked him on the back, causing him to stumble and look behind him. His eyes widened. "What are _you_ doing here?" he half-asked, half-sneered.

"I'd ask you the same question," I shot back. "You're not the only one who refused to be on the Japanese team."

"I'm here to join Wild Fang. What's it to you?" He impatiently waited for a reply.

"Ironically, I'm here to participate in the selection tournament too," I told him in mock surprise. "If I end up battling you, only one of us is going to make it on the team."

"Like I don't know that," he retorted.

"And how many times have you beaten me?" I prodded. The answer was clear in both of our minds: Two. Exactly two in all the seven or so times we'd battled.

"Make that three," Kyoya said confidently, "because I'm going to crush you in the tournament."

We glared at each other for a while. Then I replied, "It's on."

Oh, it's _on_. It is _so_ on!

**Riko's P.O.V:**

"We're HERE!" Yuu and I squealed happily.

"Yeah, we know!" Masamune said, mimicking our excitement. That guy could be such a killjoy sometimes. The only thing he and Gingka wanted were Chinese dumplings. And they were so anxious that they were arguing about how many flavors of skittles existed.

"The first thing I want to do is get to the hotel and relax." Madoka sighed, probably daydreaming about the soft, thick beds she could sink into.

"WE WANT DUMPLINGS!" Masamune and Gingka chorused. I sighed, exasperated.

"I vote hotel," I announced.

"But I'm hungry!" Yuu whined.

Knowing that there no way to make Yuu listen when he wanted something, I tried another tactic. "I took your place as sub," I reminded him. "You owe me."

He sighed, defeated. "ok_ay_."

Tsubasa looked panicked when Gingka and Masamune turned to him with pleading, puppy-dog looks. Then he shrugged. "I'll go with anything."

"Majority wins," I said gleefully. "C'mon, Madoka."

We both linked arms and walked away. I glanced back and noted that, yes, the others were following. Of course. What would they do without their support member? And me, their second strongest member.

Soon enough, we arrived at a four-star hotel. As a team of the World Championships, we got free facilities. If not, then we'd be broke in two days. After all, we _were_ travelling the entire _world_, after all.

When we found our room, I immediately head for the bathroom to shower and freshen up. Madoka opened her laptop, possibly trying to find data on the Chinese team.

_Three hours later…_

I emerged from the bathroom at last, and everyone gaped at me. Mostly because I took so long, and partially because of my outfit; I was wearing a dark purple tank top and denim jeans that flared at my ankles. A sliver necklace with a peace-sign locket, lots of colorful bangles, and I had put on make-up with a subtle but effective touch. My black hair was in a high ponytail.

I looked like I was going to a photo shoot or a fashion show.

There was silence. Then,

"Well, looks like everyone's ready," Yuu said cheerily. "So now we can go to a Chinese restaurant at last!"

"When we could be meeting our opponents or practicing?" I cracked.

"Says the person who took three hours in the shower," Masamune shot back at me.

I rolled my eyes. "You could have gone at that time. Okay, let's take a vote. Who wants to go to the restaurant?" Gingka, Masamune, Yuu and even Tsubasa raised their hands unenthusiastically. "And who…" I grinned evilly, "wants to do some spying?"

"Okay, screw the restaurant," Masamune yelled, "I _love_ eavesdropping and sticking my nose in other people's business!"

"Which you seem to be very good at," Gingka retorted.

Before they both could start a fight, Tsubasa intervened, "I'm in."

"Oooh, then me too!" Yuu declared. "Where to start?"

"Well, according to my research," Madoka surmised, "there's an ancient temple where most of the Chinese bladers practice. Maybe we'll find the team there."

"Good idea, Madoka!" Gingka jumped in. "Let's go!"

"Wait a minute," Masamune sighed, "I'm not going to explore a _temple_! Talk about boring!"

And surprisingly, I agreed with him for the first time. "Okay, so how about Masamune and I look around some parks and stuff while you guys snoop around the temple?"

"Deal," Gingka said, glad to spy without Masamune irritating him.

We split ways outside the hotel.

"So, where to first?" I asked him.

"You're the one with all the ideas," he pointed out. "Think of something."

"Um…a park, maybe?" I suggested.

"Okay," he agreed uncertainly.

Of course, it was most sensible that the Chinese team was in the temple, so it was no use searching elsewhere anyway. We stopped after that one park. I was slightly breathless, but I was in better shape than Masamune, who was sweating like he had run miles in the summer sun. He was gasping for breath, too. I rolled my eyes. _He overreacts too much._

I glanced at our surroundings for the first time and realized that we were shadowed by the Great Wall of China. We might as well enjoy sightseeing while we could, because right after the battle there would be restlessness and chaos in the team once again. So I stood up and walked around. I wasn't a big fan of historical monuments, but I liked exotic places. China wasn't really exotic, but it would do for now. What other choice did I have, anyway?

Suddenly I heard voices. When I explored a bit more, I realized that the sound was coming from a huge group of girls crowding around some random person I couldn't see. Since I obviously had nothing to do, I shrugged to myself and sauntered over to see what was going on.

It turned out that all the girls were obsessing over a boy. I rolled my eyes. What else was new? I turned to walk away, thinking he was some sort of celebrity or something. But then I realized that, just maybe, at least _one_ of those girls had to know where Wang Hu Zhong was. So I stayed, watching him sign autographs and flirt with his fans. I had to force myself not to roll my eyes again. I waited fifteen minutes for the squeals to die down. They didn't.

So I tapped the shoulder of one girl. She turned, annoyance lacing her features. "Yes?" she hissed.

"Do you know where the Chinese team is?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't say 'In the temple'.

The answer she gave me was even more disappointing; "Don't know, don't care." Then she turned and demanded him for his autograph. When he failed to notice her, she pouted and waited.

I tapped her shoulder again and she glared at me. "_What_?"

"What about any of their members?" I questioned hopefully.

She stared at me for a second. "You're not from here, are you?"

"Um. How do you know?" I said blankly.

"You want one of their members? Fine. Right in front of you."

"You?" I gasped.

"NO! Oh, my gosh. _Him_!" She threw her hands up in irritation and walked away from me.

That was when I realized there was only one _him_ in the crowd of girls. I surveyed the boy; he had windblown chestnut-brown hair, dark lavender eyes and a perfect tan. Despite myself, I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. But, thanks to all the rouge, it remained unnoticed. Anyway, no one was paying attention to _me_, so I didn't have to worry. But it was near impossible to imagine: HIM? A blader? Not ringing a bell.

Then he turned to me. "Hey."

"Um…" I looked around. Of course, I didn't mind being in the center of attention, but with all these rabid girls with nails long enough to tear flesh? "Hi," I said finally.

"So, what's your name?" he asked.

_He's singling me out! _I thought, heart pounding. _Stop it_, I forced myself, _he's supposed to be part of the Chinese team. A rival. _"Riko."

"I'm pretty sure you know who I am," he replied.

_Um, no, _I thought. _Does he mean a member of the Chinese team? I don't think so._ "Not really," I confessed.

"Oh," he said, somewhat deflated. I hid a smirk. He flashed me a smile. "I'm Chao Xin."

He meant his _name_! Of course he did. Why was he talking to only me? I glanced around casually and realized that everyone had left. _Odd_.

"Um, so…" I couldn't think of anything to say. "I don't think you know who I am."

That sounded slightly cryptic.

He looked confused. "You mean besides a pretty girl who looks lonely?"

My cheeks bypassed pink and were turning red. "Yeah. Besides that."

"Well, you're not from here, are you?" he said.

"How do you know?" I asked, astonished but hiding it.

"Well, for starters, you don't know who I am," he laughed.

"You mean a member of the Chinese team?" I blurted out.

"Yes, that too." He looked at me strangely.

I didn't even realize we were talking until I noticed a change in the surroundings. "So, what else do I need to know about you?" he asked.

"That I'm a member of the Japanese team," I answered.

For a second, he looked shocked. Then he started laughing. "Well, good thing I didn't give any training secrets away."

"What's so funny?" I asked, not amused.

"It's just," he began, "that just a few days ago, I'd unknowingly let some girl who wasn't a fan of mine into the training room. She battled with us and she found out about our special moves." He shook his head. "I've got to stop being so gullible."

"Who was she?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"Some girl with golden hair and a sparkly bey," he replied vaguely.

Golden hair. Bey that sparkles. It couldn't be. "Name any one special move."

"Why?" he questioned.

"Just do it."

He wracked his brain for something. "Invisible Barrier, I think."

_It's her!_

Angel was in China. Or at least, she had been a few days ago. But she'd battled them already, so she was probably gone now. But why didn't she join? And where was she now?

"Do you know that girl?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's my friend," I told him.

"RIKO! Finally! Where the heck did you go!"

Shoot. I'd totally forgotten about Masamune. And now, he had found me. "Sorry, Masamune. But…um…"

"We shouldn't be wasting time! Madoka, Gingka, Tsubasa and Yuu are waiting in the hotel! Besides, you got totally sidetracked~"

"Um, Masamune," I tried. "He's"—

"We were supposed to look for the bladers in the Chinese team! And you're just chatting with this guy"—

"Masamune, he _is_ a member of the Chinese team," I finally got out.

"And"—he stopped. "Oh. Then…I demand a battle."

I was slightly surprised, but Chao Xin shook it off. "Sorry. No can do. Besides, I have to go."

"Not until you battle me!"

"Seriously, kid, I"—

"CHAO XIN!"

Everyone turned, and there stood another man (**A/N: I don't really know how to describe Dashan**). He sighed. "Battle him."

Chao Xin started. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," he replied. "Now!"

Chao Xin hastily brought out his launcher and Masamune did the same.

"Three…"

"Two…"

"One…"

"LET IT RIP!" both of them yelled.

Then Chao Xin smirked. "Wait." He called back his bey. "I have a better idea."

I sighed and followed the two.

**A/N: So, yeah. It's a little different (Okay, a LOT different) from the episode, but I didn't watch it, so yeah. And are all the characters…in character? PLEASE LET ME KNOW! And REVIEW! :D Peace!**


	5. Africa: A Messed Up Selection Process

**Angel's P.O.V:**

I'd won in my block. Of course, Kyoya and I weren't through yet because he's won in his. A guy called Nile won in his by rapidly striking the beys out of the stadium using brute force. Another boy who looked like a jerk, called Marcus won in his block as well, though it took a considerable amount of time for him. (**A/N: I forgot who got which color**) We four received bracelets which, to tell the truth, looked worthless.

_Why do we need them?_ I wondered. Something about this seemed funny.

Then suddenly the mayor spoke up, "Well, congratulations for the winners for making it through the first stage."

_First stage_. His words travelled through everyone ears, and it seemed to take long for the brain to transmit the sound. Then he continued, "These four might have won this round, but there might have been a glitch in the battle. The weaklings might have gotten lucky."

Kyoya bit back a comment. I was sure he was going to say, '_Who're you calling a weakling?_'

"So, we have put together a second stage to separate the luck"- he paused dramatically, "from the real deal."

Suddenly the arena's walls opened to reveal acres and acres of desert sand and hills. I heard a beep, looked down, and discovered a timer on my bracelet. It seemed that everyone's suddenly erupted with a timer too, because I heard a, "HEY!" from Kyoya and the guy called Nile. Marcus stayed silent.

I tried to process everything and guess what the mayor was going to make us do, but I didn't have to; he explained himself: "You have twenty-four hours. You must go around the city, and try to keep the bracelets safe. Others, you can do whatever it takes to attempt to steal the bracelets from the victors. In the end, whoever has the bracelets will make up Team Wildfang."

_So _that's_ what they're for, _I realized.

"Now, if that's distinctly understood, we shall begin. Three! Two! One! GO!"

We made a beeline for the exit, and I smirked. _They made it so easy._

**Riko's P.O.V:**

Chao Xin won. But barely. After he'd called back his bey, he led us to the Great Wall and climbed up on it. (**A/N: I'm sorry if it isn't exactly what happened, as I said before; I didn't watch that episode, and Wikipedia isn't helping much**) Masamune had looked at him incredulously, but was determined to prove that he was the Number One Blader.

As much as I liked Chao Xin, fangirls aside, I was certain that he wouldn't have won if Ray Striker hadn't lost its balance and fallen off.

And here I was, four hours after the battle at eight o'clock, dancing around the room. I was elated. My iPod's earphones were in my ears, and I was moving to the beat of Blow by Kesha. Masamune, Gingka and Yuu rushed to the hotel's restaurant, and Tsubasa was at the terrace, deep inside his head as usual. Madoka was the only one in the room, and she was watching me curiously, trying to pinpoint the source of my happiness.

It was Chao Xin.

After the battle, we'd talked. Actually talked this time, no awkwardness, no fangirls; an actual conversation. Just the two of us. And, if anyone asked, I'd lie about it, but it felt _good_, just chatting with him without a care in the world. But that wasn't even the best part.

When he'd dropped me off at the hotel, he'd asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend. His _official_ girlfriend, he'd hastily corrected when I'd mentioned his few hundred fans. I had only just met him today, and for that reason alone (and all the fans) I told him I'd think about it. And I hadn't lied. I was thinking about it every second. And I wondered what I would say, when I would say it, and how I would react to his answer.

When I yanked the earphones out, Madoka went to interrogation-mode. She went right out and questioned me if I met a boy.

"Um," I replied, "yeah. He's a member of Team Wang Hu Zhong."

"_And_?" Madoka prodded.

"Madoka, seriously! There's nothing going on between us!"

"Besides the fact that he asked you out in front of the hotel?" she asked innocently.

"_Madoka_!"

"How do I know? I was standing in the balcony. I saw you two talking. You looked like lovebirds," she teased, earning a light punch in the arm.

I sighed. "Well, you're right. And I have no idea what to tell him."

"Why not? You like him, don't you?"

I thought about that. Did I? Yes. But I didn't know whether his request was genuine or whether he was just playing around with me. "We just met a few hours ago," I told her, "I didn't want to just accept like that."

"Well, then give it a little more time," she suggested. But she didn't understand that no matter how much time I gave it, his fangirls would forever be wrapped around him like a vice.

"Okay," I reluctantly agreed. That ended the conversation right there.

**Angel's P.O.V:**

I was lost in the city. I had no idea where I was, but people were still hot on my trail, so I ran blindly. Soon enough, my breath came out in short puffs and my legs started throbbing. I couldn't run for twenty-four hours straight; I needed to hide.

Of course, I wasn't going to actually _join_ Team Wildfang. I still had other plans. But I couldn't let just anyone take my bracelet; I was going to give to someone who deserved it, someone who was worthy of being on the team.

I reached I point when I could no longer continue and came to an abrupt stop, panting. Someone stopped beside me, and I twisted around, ready to launch, and encountered Nile. "You?" I gasped.

He shrugged. "Well, don't just stand there," I said incredulously. "Why were you following me?"

"I thought the victors should stick together, but Kyoya had to ruin that by running in the complete opposite direction."

I stifled a smile. "That's Kyoya for you."

"You know him?" He seemed taken aback.

"A lot more than you think."

There was a long silence. Then,

"Well, thanks to _you_, we won't be going anywhere for a while," I huffed, plopping down on the rough, sandy ground.

He raised his eyebrow and I replied, "I thought you were out to get me."

"Your mistake," he shot back, and I didn't bother to shoot a remark at him. I waited to see if he'd stick to the 'victors staying together' conclusion or just disappear. After fifteen minutes, he sat down beside me.

I thought about Riko. That girl attracted adventure like a magnet. She was bound to be having loads of fun, while I was stuck in a desert with Mr. Let's-stick-together. Go figure. Then I smiled; bet she wasn't expecting her brother to be traipsing around Africa. She was in for a big surprise!

Then I finally spoke, "Well, I think we should just mind our own businesses and try not to get caught. Doesn't that seem easier?"

He gave me a look. "Your call. I was actually looking for Kyoya, but turns out I was following you the entire time." He received a look from me. I wondered what he'd think if I told him I'd won against Kyoya five times.

So I got up and walked away. I looked around several times to make sure he wasn't following me. No one in sight. Good. I alternated between walking and jogging, occasionally breaking into a fast pace when I thought I heard something peculiar. I didn't see Kyoya anywhere, but knowing him, he was probably wiping the floor with bladers.

Suddenly a twig snapped behind me. I turned around, expecting to see Nile again, but encountered a dozen bladers. They all ripped their beys at me.

Cursing myself for not being prepared, I hastily launched Cantio. The moment it landed, all twelve beys rammed into it at once, and I yelled out, "Invisible Barrier!" It repelled all the attacks but failed to stop the beys from coming back for more.

Shakily, I called, "Golden Illusion!" My bey replicated, but all the tangible look-alikes were quickly reduced to dust. Ugh. Since when was twelve against one ever fair?

When someone was about to deliver a final blow, the shield came back, and the attack had a bounce-back effect. The shield disintegrated. One down. But what difference would that make? There were still eleven more, raging forward.

Then I realized that it wasn't my defeat they should be after; it was the bracelet. I quickly called back my bey and bolted away into a random direction. The boys cursed but didn't follow me. They ran somewhere else.

_That's weird,_ I thought. After all, I wasn't that ahead of them. Curious, I climbed a wall. I had become an expert wall-climbing ever since the incident with the Dark Nebula*****. I jumped from rooftop to rooftop, trying to keep pace with the bladers. After an hour, I gave up, standing on the terrace of a building.

But pretty soon, call it fate or luck, I'd found out why. The answer was pretty clear from the distance: Nile was holding his own against the bladers, and even more joined. It was impossible to win! I surveyed the scene for a while, then finally yelled, "Let it rip!"

Nile gazed in wonder as I dropped from the roof. I landed with my feet planted on the ground. With the element of surprise, Cantio creamed the other beys, sending them flying. _That's more like it._

When all the others were gone, Nile asked, with a hint of sarcasm, "What happened to minding your own business?"

"I just saved your ass, so you shouldn't be talking," I shot back, silencing him. Suddenly someone else dropped to the ground. I spun around and found myself face-to-face with Kyoya. I backed away. "You have got to stop doing that."

"Whatever." He shrugged. "There's twelve hours left."

"Well, we made it this far," Nile cracked. "We should be able to survive the next wave of attacks."

"Hey, is the sewer supposed to be doing that?" I asked, creeped out. It was moving back and forth, shaking violently.

"Um…no," Nile answered.

Suddenly it burst open, and I almost gagged. We were ready for attack, aiming our beys at the figure. I sighed, replacing it. We had been about to attack Marcus, who, like the rodent I thought he was, had been hiding…in the sewer.

"Guys, it's me!" he said, fumbling with his words. "So, I was thinking, why attack others when we could just hide out here for the rest of the time?"

We rethought this. Finally Kyoya said, "That's not a bad idea."

"Then follow me; I have the perfect place!"

The other two walked up to the sewer, but I remained rooted to my position. No way was I going in there. But slowly, I found myself creeping up to the thing, and I gazed into the murky depths. Suddenly I felt pressure on my back, and I tumbled headfirst into it.

I landed on my feet after executing a few somersaults, and realized that it was Kyoya who had pushed me. Never mind, I could get him back later. I found myself in a room, consisting of a few barrels and an antique carpet. "Well, this is far from perfect, but its okay, I guess," I commented. "At least no one will find us here."

I spoke too soon. Just as we were getting settled in the bunker, the door rattled and shook. Instinct kicked in and I backed away. Unfortunately, when I stepped on the carpet, I stumbled into darkness. I heard a splash and realized I was underwater. That bastard; Marcus had tricked us. I was beginning to hyperventilate.

_Calm down,_ I told myself. At least I still had the bracelet; there was no way I was letting Marcus take that. But when I looked up, I saw Kyoya and Nile dangling from the carpet's seams. I watched in horror as Marcus ripped off their bracelets, handing them to his friends, who had been the ones banging on that door. (**A/N: Sorry, I haven't watched this episode in a **_**long**_** time, I forgot their names**) Then he threatened to step on their hands, causing them to let go and tumble into the water.

_I _knew_ the sewer was a bad idea,_ I fretted. Their bodies resurfaced, and I was becoming aware of the fact that I was _sinking_. Not good; I had never been an excellent swimmer. We had to get out of here. I tried climbing the walls, but they were slippery and slimy, and I fell back in. This time I didn't come back up.

I flailed in the water, gasping for breath. The air had left my lungs, and I gagged on the stale gas remaining. I couldn't see Kyoya or Nile, but I knew they wouldn't leave me here to rot. Or at least, I knew Kyoya wouldn't; Riko's wrath would be horrifying. I was probably too far down for them to find. My world was turning foggy; I had to do something! Time was running out. My bracelet was still clasped around my hand. I could practically hear the sound.

_Tick, tick, tick. _

My time was running out. I'd always had bad experiences with sewers. There was this one time when my favorite bracelet fell into it. Luckily, someone found it washed up in the shallow area of an ocean – _That's it!_

Sewers usually led to a body of water. I was probably going to be let out into an ocean. I was going to live after all.

I just had to stay awake until I surfaced. Easy as pie.

Not.

***About the incident with Dark Nebula ~ If you want to know, then you can read 'Beyblade Metal Fusion: Dawn of the Charm'. I'm not continuing it, but the incident is written down already so, yeah, you can check it out. Ignore the prologue ~ it's just about what happened to Shantel, and it's all wrong :3. **

**So anyway, I know this was really long, but I haven't updated in a loooooong time, so yeah. Please review! And get any guy of your choice besides Zeo!**

**Zeo: O.o**

**Shantel: I'm going to appear in the next chapter! :D **


	6. Reminiscing The Past

**A/N: So, before I start off the chapter, I want to say a few things. One, Shantel **_**is**_** in this chapter, and I really enjoy writing about her, but readers be warned – She's not the same innocent little girl she was before. Most of you know why, and to those who don't, you'll find out in this chapter. And it's kind of sad, so yeah.**

**Second, I want to thank all my reviewers and readers; you always make me so happy! I'm not going to single everyone out just yet, but later I'll take time to thank everyone more…thoroughly. Yup! So, yeah, I'm done with my little rant.**

**Shantel's P.O.V:**

_I was falling._

_I flailed around, trying to slow down, to grip something, but I failed and accelerated to my doom. The razor-sharp spikes protruding from the dry, cracked ground came closer and closer, and they glinted in anticipation of tearing through me. I closed my eyes tight and screamed._

_Suddenly I stopped._

_At first glance, I saw the spikes mere inches below me, and I was hovering above them. Then, somehow, they disappeared and I found that someone held me in their arms. He had brown hair, and my heart fluttered as hope grew inside me. _

_But when I tried to catch a glimpse of his eyes, the features morphed into my attacker, Jeci's face._ _Horror washed over me as I struggled violently to get out of his iron grip, but I gave up soon after as he dragged me into his chambers. _

_In a flash, I was chained to the wall, watching helplessly as he dug through his 'toy box', searching for a torture device to use on me. He stood up clutching a spiked mace. I shivered, scared as he walked towards me and aimed._

_Then he let it fly, collide with my arm and bury itself inside._

My eyes shot open, and I stopped shrieking. I gazed around rapidly, and relief flooded me when I realized that there were no chains, no attackers, and no maces. Instead of the rough grey walls and the cold stone floor, I found myself in a lofty room. And in place of the wooden post digging sharply into my back, there were layers upon layers of mattresses. I was tangled in the soft comforter.

My arm burned with pain in reality, but _that_ was no surprise.

It hurt even when I didn't move it, which I couldn't do even if I wanted to; it was stiff and throbbing, and when I touched it, pain washed over my entire body and I gasped. The blade had gone deeper than I had intended, and I had sworn I'd never do it again. But, of course, like all the other times, I'd just give in to the lack of control over my life and forget my promise to myself.

My face was wet, and I realized that I had been crying. I moved my good arm upwards and wiped my eyes, nose and cheeks.

Even after two years, the nightmares never stopped. They intruded my thoughts, flashed unwanted during random moments, when I was completely unprepared for the onslaught of memories.

Jeci's face suddenly appeared before me, and I raised my arms instinctively as if to block an attack and defend myself. _Stop it,_ I told myself harshly. _He can't reach you anymore._ But that wasn't true. He did still reach me. He was a figment of my thoughts, but I couldn't drive him away no matter what; he was tattooed into my mind. The one year spent with him wouldn't leave.

Memories threatened to overcome me, and, tired even after a good thirteen hours of sleep, I let them. If the saying _Ignorance is Bliss_ was true, then I had every right to despise my life.

I had seen, heard and endured so much, too much for any other thirteen year old. I couldn't remember anything before waking up in a prison cell, my body aching all over. That one year. A time when fear was my only companion. Fear, also my savior; it kept me from failing Jeci's 'tests' and 'experiments'.

Taking a deep breath, I allowed myself to acknowledge some of my memories; maybe once I gave them my attention, they would go away.

I was forced to stay in a push-up position, with my hands balled into fists, and a lighted candle seated below me. If I collapsed, I'd be ignited. Sometimes, I desired death; it was an escape from all the torture. But that would be taking the easy way out, and I was determined to stay and prove myself. And fear of the pain of being burned fueled me on.

I held on for four hours straight. Even after the candle was removed and Jeci left, locking the door behind him, I stayed for another minute before collapsing in a heap in tears. My fists were bloodied and the skin was peeled off.

That was just one memory.

Every day in those three-hundred sixty-five days. From dawn to dusk, I tried to appeal to Jeci's brutal assignments. And my reward at the end of the day? More suffering. I slept in fear, wondering what gruesome exercise awaited me the next day.

But the night I'd stolen my bey and escaped, everything changed. My living conditions improved, from chains to fluffy mattresses. I relaxed a bit. Refusing to relive anymore torture, I forced myself out of bed.

I was safe now, and that was all that mattered.

After three hours, I was ready to go downstairs. I had no idea where I had lived before, but now I was in Europe, residing in a huge mansion. I snorted. _A definite improvement._

The moment I set foot in the dining hall, Wales asked, "What took you so long?"

I swallowed. I couldn't tell anyone the answer; it had been a challenge to hide the gash on my arm, but I managed with a long-sleeved shirt.

"I…was…thinking about…," I wracked my mind for something, anything to cover up. "The World Championships," I stammered finally, sounding utterly unconvincing. But everyone was thinking about it, so it was a reasonable answer.

With everyone satisfied, I sat down next to Sophie, who eyed me suspiciously. She knew almost everything about me.

_Almost._

Except how exactly Julian Konzern found me. I shrugged. According to everyone, he adopted me from a normal orphanage, rather than finding me unconscious on the streets on that rainy night. Only he knew my true story, and I was fine with that. I never told anyone about the nightmares though.

I was unconditionally a member of the not-so-newly formed Team Excalibur. Julian offered me an actual place on the team, but I settled for substitute. Everyone was fine with that.

After finishing my breakfast of chocolate-glazed croissants, I excused myself and walked back to my room, and out the balcony.

The cool morning breeze soothed me of my worries temporarily, but they never truly left.

The thing was it wasn't my torture that upset me. I mean, yeah, it was painful, but that fact that my life before Jeci was completely unknown to me bugged me the most. Especially since I kept getting confusing flashbacks in my dreams. Bits and pieces; it was so frustrating! Only one name stood out clearly, but I was unsure whether it even meant anything.

Now it echoed in my mind, drifting slowly through my thoughts before fading, then restarting:

_Toby._

**A/N: Well, I feel this chapter is kinda short, but yeah, I enjoyed writing it! So yeah. You'll get to see what happens to Angel in the next chappie! BYE! :D And don't forget to review!**

**Angel: And get any character except Zeo. *Glances at me***

**Me: Yup! Peace!**


	7. Dancing With Tears In My Eyes

**A/N: So, I'm planning on the actual World Championships to start in eight or nine (most likely nine…or not), so I'm getting a lot done in this chapter! As I said before I really like writing about Shantel, but she's not in this chapter. This one is more about Riko…and her first heartbreak! The title of this chapter is a song actually, Dancing With Tears in My Eyes by Kesha. Check it out, it's cool! **

**Angel's P.O.V:**

I opened my eyes slowly.

I was on a foamy blue sea. Miraculously, I was floating, but my head throbbed and it was becoming a challenge for me to draw air into my lungs. I gasped, remembering the tournament, but cleared that thought from my mind.

First of all, I wasn't intending on joining the team in the first place. Mysteriously disappearing was better in my standardsthan having to give my bracelet to someone else and explain why. Speaking of the bracelet; I yanked the silvery metallic thing and threw it far away. It sank into the whirling currents, swallowing it whole.

I gulped. _Feel lucky that that wasn't you, _I told myself sharply.

But, would it be worth it if Kyoya found out and thought I was dead? Then he'd have to tell Riko the next time they met…and that scene wouldn't be pretty.

I shook my head; I had enough problems myself – I didn't have to think about everyone else's as well. Let Kyoya worry about himself; there wasn't anything I could do about it, anyway. Now there was only one question in my mind:

_Where am I?_

Gazed around in all directions; there was a long stretch of land extending for I don't know how many miles, but I saw tall buildings pointing towards the azure sky. That was enough for me; if there was civilization, then I knew which direction I'd be heading.

**Riko's P.O.V:**

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that Gingka, Masamune and Yuu were nowhere to be found. That could either mean trouble, or they had decided to have a head start to the restaurant – last time, it seemed as though there was a five-hour waiting line.

But still, my guess lingered on trouble.

I eased myself out of bed, and yawned. Tomorrow was the day the World Championships was going to start! I finished my morning ritual quickly, sauntering out of the bathroom wearing another designer outfit. Madoka looked like she'd been up for a while, and she was checking out something on her laptop.

When she saw me, she smiled broadly. "Do you always wear cutting-edge clothes, or are you just trying to impress someone?"

"_Madoka_!" I blushed. "Yes, I always wear these, and maybe, but-,"

"Stop," she commanded, holding a hand up as though to halt my motion. "Don't try any excuses. You confessed yesterday, so from now on, no secrets. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," I replied sarcastically. She smacked me lightly on the arm, but with her soft leather gloves, it didn't have much effect. I took interest to her research. "What are you doing?"

"I just received the team order for the Championships," she told me gleefully.

"So what is it?" I questioned.

"Your guy is up first."

"Next?" I asked, trying to keep my expression neutral.

"A blader called Chi Yun. Then the team leader, Dashan Wang. I'm just reading about their beys."

"Looking for weaknesses already?" I blinked, surprised. "We have, like, ten hours time. Chill out, Madoka." Suddenly I remembered the rest of the team. "Where is everyone?"

"Well, I know Tsubasa is in the woods somewhere; he'll be back soon. As for the others…" For the first time since I'd seen her on the flight, she looked uneasy. "Well, I don't exactly…I mean, they said they were going to a bey park, but Gingka turns out to be a horrible liar. When I asked him for the real reason, he confessed that they were going to the temple again."

That confused me. "But why keep it a secret?"

"That's what I asked him. And he said that he was going to surprise me with more info. But _really_. I mean, I could have come along; those three fail when it comes to diplomacy."

I snorted. "Got that right."

She looked concerned. "Should we try to find them? They could get into trouble."

"So? Let them." I waved my hand nonchalantly. "At least if they meet the consequences, they won't make any more mistakes again."

"True…" Madoka trailed off.

"Listen, they'll be fine," I reassured her. "Yuu might be the youngest here, but he has some amount of sanity, what with hanging out with Tsubasa." _I hope._ "So, want to have breakfast or what?"

Now she gave me a pleading look. "I really want to check out…"

"Okay, I get it. I'll order room service." I walked over to the phone and dialed the number; having the WBBA cover your budget really helped. "Um, hello?" I said into it. "Room service?"

"This is the manager. Can we help you with anything?"

"Yeah. I'd like a chocolate donut –"

"With cranberry jelly?" he politely asked.

"No, not the jelly-filled ones! And a vanilla milkshake –"

"Would you like an umbrella in it? They're very popular; made of dyed bamboo!" he interrupted again.

I sweatdropped. "Er, it's your choice; it's not like I'm going to eat those little umbrellas…"

"Which room should we send it to?"

"Wait, that's not all, hold on-," I turned to Madoka. "What do you want?" I hissed to her.

"Excuse me?" he questioned, slightly offended.

"I'm not talking to you!" I exclaimed into the phone, getting slightly irritated with the manager. "Wait a second." I looked expectantly at Madoka.

"Just blueberry pancakes." She continued reading from her laptop.

"Um, my friend here would like blueberry pancakes," I repeated.

"Oh. Would she like maple syrup with that? Perhaps maybe some orange juice as well? Oranges here are very juicy. If you order an entire meal, complete with waffles, you could save money and have a filling breakfast; it's half price. And also –"

"JUST BLUEBERRY PANCAKES!" I yelled. "SEND IT TO ROOM 209! THANK YOU AND BYE!" I slammed the phone down. Madoka looked at me, slightly freaked out.

"Nothing," I blurted out. Then I recomposed myself. "Breakfast is on the way." She grinned and turned away, shaking her head silently. The thing was, diplomacy wasn't _my_ best skill either – and we both knew that.

_Three hours later…_

Breakfast went fine, except for two things: One, I got a jelly-filled donut instead of the regular one. And two, I spilled my milkshake all over my jeans, so I had to change into denim leggings. So I basically ate nothing while Madoka stuffed herself with pancakes.

One thing was bugging both of us, and it was nerve-wracking; _Where are Gingka, Masamune and Yuu?_ Tsubasa was bound to show up, so we weren't worried about him. But now I was sure they had gotten in trouble somehow.

"Madoka, I can't take it anymore," I moaned. "I'm worried and bored. You said they went to the temple; let's go look for them."

She agreed, and we walked out of the hotel. I was fretting the whole way; something definitely _wrong_ happened, because why else would they _still_ not show up? Scared of the consequences was my answer.

When we got to the temple, unease settled over me like a mist. Something wasn't right; where were all the bladers? Madoka had told me that hundreds upon hundreds of bladers practiced every day, and they could be seen miles away. The ancient corridors were deserted, and every word I uttered echoed at least six times.

But I wished I just stayed in the hotel and minded my own business; because soon we figured out that the reason that no one was practicing out in the open was because everyone were crowding around a wall. Heads turned, people cursed and got out of the way for us.

I couldn't help but gasp: On the wall, some people had spray-painted in pink. A huge insult. _Some people._ I growled under my breath; those three were going to get it from me.

I wanted to run and hide, but the opposite of what I desired happened; Chao Xin walked towards me, and I desperately searched for a way to escape.

"Riko. Seriously? You'd stoop to _this_?" He waved his arm towards the wall. "Really. To think I thought you were cool –"

"Wait." My voice sounded still and threatening, like it didn't come from my own mouth. "So that's it? You wanted to go out with me…because you thought I was _cool_?" I know it seemed silly, but I needed to have something to use against him.

He looked stunned. "What? I –"

"So that's it," I repeated monotonously. "You just wanted me for my looks. I get it. And once I left China, you'd just charm another idiotic girl. Nice. I almost fell for it."

"Riko, I –," he shook his head. "That's not what it was about. And you didn't accept anyway."

"Well, I was going to!" The truth, but I ceased to care if he believed me or not. "And first of all, I didn't –"

"Save it," he interrupted. "I mean, who graffiti's _Hamburgers, Pandas and Ice Cream_ on temple walls? In _pink_!"

_Hamburgers_ equals Gingka.

_Pandas_ equals Masamune.

_Ice cream_ equals Yuu.

That's who. I could have just said that. "Well, not me!" I cried. "Do you really think I'd do something so stupid?"

"I don't know," he scoffed. "But why should I take any chances?"

"You did yesterday!"

"Well, I take it back!"

I stopped talking for a second, taking in his words. _I take it back. _I couldn't muster any words for a full minute. Then I forced myself to face reality: even if he didn't officially declare it, he would have another girl by his side the moment I left. This didn't change anything. Then why was I so upset? Trying to sound contemptuous, I said, "Is that what you really want?"

"Yes. I don't date immature kids," he snapped. His words hit me like a punch in the ribs, but I refused to show it. I didn't feel any remorse, regret, nothing. I didn't want to.

"Well, I don't date playboys," I shot back, turning on my heel and storming out.

I realized after five minutes that Madoka gazed at me with sympathy in her eyes. Also pure rage; those three were in for it. The fifteen-minute walk to the hotel was excruciating; with every step, I felt like I died a little inside. I ran up all three floors of the hotel without even glancing at the elevator, threw open the door and collapsed into the soft, white bed. Madoka wasn't with me.

Alone.

I was alone.

At last, I could bring myself to cry.

**Angel's P.O.V:**

I walked slowly across the streets. I was in bad shape; exhausted and soaking wet. I thought nothing could turn this day around. But I was wrong; I saw something that made my heart leap – the distant silhouette of The Statue of Liberty could be seen amidst the smog.

I squealed and jumped with joy for a few seconds, causing few strangers to cast amazed glances my way. The fact that I fell in the water was incredible luck; it prevented having to traipse the world. It saved time. And I was in one piece; despite my condition, I reveled in my fortunate happenings for a good five minutes.

I asked myself again: _Where am I?_

America.

**A/N: Well, it's over now. OVER. Angel's plan is one quarter revealed! Anyway, please review! I live for reviews! :D**

**Shantel: And as usual, get any Beyblade character except Zeo. **

**Me: *Hands plush Zeo to VocaloidNamine02* **

**Angel: Review! XD**


	8. A Twist

**A/N: So…this is where it gets good. *Grins hugely* This is all Angel, and it explains even more of her sinister plan (okay, not so sinister :P)! So, yeah, pancakes!**

**Angel's P.O.V:**

I was still roaming the streets of New York aimlessly. I shivered; I was sopping wet and clad in only denim capris and a white tank top, which was soaking up all the moisture. Pair that with the cool afternoon winds and the result was: I was chilled to the bone.

But I ignored my discomfort, still reeling with happiness. My brain felt waterlogged, but overall, I was fine. But when I glanced at a glass window, my physical appearance was quite scary. My long blonde hair was tangled and plastered to my skin, my sidebangs partially covering my face. My eyes were slightly red, which was the result of staying underwater too long with them wide open. My skin was pale.

To say that I looked like a vampire would be just a slight exaggeration, but only that could describe me now.

I sighed, not completely contented, but elated nonetheless. I still couldn't believe that I'd washed up on the shores of New York all the way from _Africa_ in about fourteen hours. There must have been some rapid currents or something.

But now came the hard part.

I scouted the place, searching for HD Academy – where elite bladers from America trained, and presently, where Team Star Breaker resided. I didn't know exactly what I was looking for, so I settled for tall, silver skyscrapers. But soon, I gave in to my exhaustion and accepted that I was hopelessly lost.

When I sat down under a tree, the seriousness of my situation finally dawned to me; I was drenched, broke and wandering through New York entirely. I was acting in a panicky behavior, and not using my wits.

_Think, Angel, _I urged myself. Think back. I had to think back. I remembered only a few things: a tournament, a park, a gym – _wait! That's it!_

Dungeon Gym. Of course; why didn't I think of that sooner? What better place to start? After berating myself for being so stupid, I set off.

It didn't take me long to find it. I burst inside, and, not caring about who stared at me as if I were a lunatic, I searched the faces. My heart dropped like a stone. _No way._

"Er…do you…want something?" the scruffy voice of Coach Steel asked. He gazed at me funny. Not every day some strange girl walks inside, dripping water all over the place.

"Um…" I couldn't just tell him what I wanted. Then he'd ask why, and I'd just complicate things. Instead I asked, "Does anyone know where HD Academy is?" If not here, then the only other option was that.

The coach glanced at the remaining four students, like they were having a telepathic conversation, and replied, "Sure. Just go straight from here, take a left, and there will be two paths; go for the right one, and then walk about 5 miles. Then you'll find a hill. Take a left from there, and walk on. Eventually you'll see it." Noticing my confused expression, he added, "_Or_ you could always take a taxi. Almost everyone here knows that place."

"Right. Thanks," I told him. I wasn't going to tell him that I didn't have any money. I walked out, shaking my head. _So much for my theory._

I charmed a taxi driver into letting me on for free, telling him I'd pay sooner or later. Hopefully.

_One hour later…_

"Thanks!" I yelled. "My name is Angelique! I'll pay you later!"

I ran towards the building before the driver could reply.

_Finally!_ I thought. So close…I was almost there. To occupy myself, I thought again about Riko. The World Championships were starting first thing tomorrow. She had to be preparing! But knowing her, she was probably unaware of that fact. I stifled a laugh; she might have even forgotten about the whole thing! I suddenly realized that I arrived in America in a nick of time. _The World Championships are tomorrow!_ One day later and I would have missed the chance.

Just then I stopped. In front of me, there were bladers wearing slinky spy-suits. They all launched at the same time.

Suddenly panic seized me; I didn't know if I even had my bey with me! I didn't bother to check after the incident with the sewer. Desperately clawing the inside of my pocket, I sighed in relief as my hand grasped the cool metal. I pulled it out and ripped it.

I could have defeated them without using any special moves, but I didn't want to waste time here. So I shouted, "Cantio, Cursed Oblivion!" My bey started spinning around in circles. Superfast circles. Then it stopped spinning for five seconds, standing balanced, perfectly still on the dry cobblestones. It lurched forward, and an epic wind current rose from the surroundings, tearing at the beys until they flew into the distant scenery. (**A/N: **_**Cursed Oblivion**_** is a fancy name for a hurricane move, but I liked it XD**)

The bladers yelled out and ran to retrieve them. I ran into the building without hesitation. The metallic exterior was no match for the hardcore interior, cluttered with high-tech equipment and machines. I marveled at everything, wondering what they were used for.

Not sure where I was supposed to go, I walked up random flights of stairs and tried different doors, hoping for luck. Finally my searching paid off as I encountered a huge chamber where hundreds of workers sat in front of computers, typing away. At the top, sat a man with dark sunglasses, wearing a grey suit. I sauntered up all the steps to him and asked, "Who are you?"

The man turned to me with a strange look cast on his face. "I believe I should ask _you_ that question," he said back.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, waving my hand in the air casually. "Well, I'm Angelique."

"And why are you here?" he questioned suspiciously.

_Someone has a strange plot afoot,_ I thought sarcastically. "Hey, I thought you were going to answer my question!" I protested. When he just looked at me, I rolled my eyes. "I'm here because I want to join Team Star Breaker."

On hearing this, he laughed dryly for a good three minutes. I gave him a weird look. "I don't get what's so amusing," I pointed out to him.

"It isn't that easy," he said finally.

"I know," I told him, "I have to defeat a member first."

He looked slightly distracted, as though thinking of something else. "Yes, yes," he murmured. Then he seemed to snap back to himself. "I'll call someone. Wait in the stadium."

When I failed to move, he pointed to an opening in the bottom. "Oh. Right." I was about to go, but then I realized he still didn't answer my question. "Who are you?"

His sunglasses glinted. "I am Doctor Ziggurat, Team Star Breaker's manager."

I nodded and walked down. Something didn't seem right about him. If he was the manager, who were all those workers, and why were there so many other bladers? I shook off my doubts; the important thing was, I was here.

In about fifteen minutes, a blader walked in. The moment I saw him, butterflies exploded in my stomach. Just a brief eye contact caused chills to rack my spine.

No. He couldn't be here. He _shouldn't _be here. This wasn't part of my plan! I hadn't even bothered to think of him or include him here; he'd always been the weakest of his friends. How could he have turned up here?

He had his bey ready to launch, and was gazing at me with a faraway look in his eyes. I panicked. _He can't remember me!_

After what seemed like ages, I finally got Cantio in launching position. I guess we were supposed to wait for Ziggurat to cue us. My mind was processing hundred things a second, and I was starting to feel lightheaded, but I don't know whether it was because of the water or the brunette in front of me.

Because standing in front of me, instead of Shantel, was Zeo.

**A/N: Well, I hope this was enjoyable! I hope I didn't reveal too much, but I don't think I did, because you all know that Angel already has something to do with Shantel. Now her plan is ruined again, XD!**

**Moon: YAY! I finally got to post more! I really liked writing this, mostly because Zeo finally shows up, and from now on he's a major character in the story!**

**Leslie: I'll do the honors – review and get a clone of any character, except Zeo because Moon keeps all the Zeo clones in her closet. But you can request any plushie or drawing (virtual, of course) and you'll get it!**

**Moon: Hope you liked! :) **


	9. My Dilemma

**A/N: So yeah, I know I was procrastinating the WC, but the next chapter starts it off! With Riko :D So yeah, hope you like this! I'm giving out free tissue boxes! **

**Shantel's P.O.V:**

I stood outside the training room.

It felt like there was a wall of fire pressing against me, and I couldn't get myself to pass through. _Training. _The word revolved around my head again and again until it transformed into _experiments_. Experiments. Endurance tests. Torture devices. My head began to spin.

I tried to steel myself_. This is not my dungeon cell. This is just a training room with harmless equipment._ But no matter what, I always ended up turning in the other direction.

Unluckily, I ran into Sophie.

She looked at me, with the usual mixture of concern and suspicion. I started towards my room, but she caught hold of my hand. I involuntarily let out a yelp as the cut up my sleeve burned and stung and pain coursed through my body. She let go. "What is it?"

"Nothing," I replied lamely. I attempted to walk past her, but Wales intervened. They weren't called _Konzern's Twin Jewels_ for nothing; it was impossible to get by them. "I'm serious," I said.

They exchanged glances. On my 'good' days, lies escaped fluently out of my mouth, but now I was just blurting out whatever came to my mind. Then Sophie spoke, "You do know that the World Championships are tomorrow." I nodded, because, yes, even with everything going on, I hadn't forgotten. They eyed each other again.

_Do they have telepathic conversations? _ I wondered.

"We were just…curious…about why you never practice," Wales said carefully. I knew what they really wanted to say was, _Why are you so secretive? _

I didn't know what to say at this, so I just shrugged.

"The World Championships are tomorrow," she reminded me. "All other days, it's fine, but don't you think maybe you could train for a little while?"

_Leave me alone!_ I wanted to yell at them, but instead I told them, "I usually just practice outside." When they looked at each other yet _again_, I added hastily, "the training room is too crowded." True to a point.

"Okay," Sophie said. Her voice sounded strange.

"Okay," I echoed, slowly walking past them. _Gosh._

I ran the remaining way to my room, not wanting any more interference, and collapsed on my bed in a heap. I rarely went out to exercise, barely exerted myself, but still I was just so tired. I gazed at the clock; 3:30 PM. Suddenly I got an idea.

I thought about what I'd told them; _I usually just practice outside. _Why not? I had nothing to do, and it wouldn't hurt. I mean, literally hurt.

Time to get a little taste of the outside world.

**Angel's P.O.V:**

I just barely won.

The battle lasted ten minutes, but in the end, I won. It probably would have helped if I wasn't so distracted by Zeo's eyes.

Sky blue. Just like Shantel's. How I wished they were hers! I couldn't help feeling, just for a minute, that this was all a waste of time. But then I dismissed that thought, telling myself, _If you participate in the World Championships, you may run into her. _But the confusing part was, where else could she be?

I heard distant clapping. When I turned and glanced upward, I saw Ziggurat standing behind a thick glass wall. "Well done," he complimented. I wasn't fazed by it.

"Am I in?" I asked.

His sunglasses glinted. "Ah, yes. Not quite yet."

I was taken aback. "But those are the rules."

"Oh, you passed the initial level," he replied. "But there is more to come."

"What else?" I snapped.

"You won't need your bey," he told me. "It's just a little test, to see exactly how much power you hold." He snapped his fingers and suddenly the stadium disappeared. In its place was a gaping hole. Stunned, all I could do was watch as a platform rose from the shadows beneath. Resting on it was what looked like a high-tech coffin. (**A/N: Good enough description? Any advice?**) It was cosmic blue, and slivery highlights blinded me for a few seconds before I got accustomed to them.

"What _is _that thing!"

"My latest masterpiece." Ziggurat pointed to the chamber with flourish. "The Arrange System!"

Something told me that this had nothing to do with beyblade.

"When you rest inside this, you undergo a process called Arrangement. It draws out the inner power of a blader, but only those who can endure its effects can obtain this power. Now, I am going to see just how much you can endure." He gestured to it. "Step inside."

I didn't move a muscle. "When you said endure, does that mean it hurts?"

He didn't flinch. "To draw out the power, if would require much effort on your part. Step inside, or leave HD Academy."

It didn't look like I had a choice. I gingerly felt the interior; metallic and cold, reflecting purpose rather than comfort. Sighing, I placed my legs inside, and soon enough I was in a sleeping position, shuffling around nervously. When the upper glass closed, I started to panic, but suddenly I felt a smooth current run against my body. _Relax, _it stroked. _Close your eyes. _

_Yes, _I thought, settling down. This was all right. Nothing to worry about. Suddenly I felt lightning strike my skull. I let out a surprised scream, but then clamped my mouth tightly shut. I wasn't going to show any weakness.

Soon my body was electrified. I tried not to make any expression, but it felt like molten fire raced across my body, burning it. When I felt a bolt of energy, like a knife, stab my throat, I shrieked. It was at that moment that the door to freedom finally opened. I sat up straight, gasping for breath.

Flames still scorched me, but at a lesser scale. When I caught Zeo staring at me and Ziggurat gazing intently, I mustered up two words, "I'm fine."

He clapped his hands together. "Well, you are now an official member of Team Star Breaker! Since there's no one around…Zeo, show her to her room. And get her dry."

Zeo sighed. "Come on."

_Why the reluctance? _I thought sarcastically. He wasn't the one who got burned to crisp. As I followed him around, I noted that HD Academy was the size of an entire country. How he memorized where to go, I'll never know.

After three-hundred seconds of walking, I was getting increasingly irritated with the place. Every corridor looked the same, and it felt like we were walking in circles.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

Finally, we came to a stop in front of a door. He tossed me the keys, and I caught them flawlessly. Then for a second, the world seemed to disappear when he gazed at me for a while. Slowly, he asked, "Have I…seen you before?"

Then all form of order faded.

I was frantic; if he remembered me from any time, then all was lost. The mission would be jeopardized. Words flooded in and out of my head, and I couldn't grasp a single one. My mind was in a flurry of thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, I attempted to calm myself. What if he just had a memory he wanted me to confirm? That would be different. After about fifteen seconds, at last, I cooled down. "No…" I whispered. "No, you haven't." My eyes traced the wooden grain of the door.

He nodded and walked away. Suddenly the place felt emptier. Fumbling with the keys, I unlocked the door after several failed attempts – I was no genius locksmith.

The whole place was scarce. The bed looked hard. The floor was made of marble, beautifully crafted but cold. The walls were bare. I shrugged; it didn't matter. It was a vast improvement from walking, drenched, all over New York.

I walked over to the bathroom, and found to my dismay that there were no towels. How was I expected to get dry? I suppose Zeo thought that all necessities were met in this place.

Instead of scouring HD Academy for towels, I flopped down on the bed. I just couldn't understand: A part of me wanted to befriend Zeo, but the other wanted to throttle him. But I guessed it was safer to stick to throttling, because for me, it was dangerous to get attached to anyone.

I buried my face into the pillow. This was messed up. I couldn't help it. "WHY HIM?" I screamed. "ANYONE BUT HIM!" He probably knew more about me than Shantel. And above that, I was already starting to favor him. I still wanted to throttle him, but I didn't know where that came from.

In my haze, I could only think up one thought:

_What's wrong with me?_

**Shantel's P.O.V:**

_Stupid, _I thought, trudging through the woods. _So stupid. _

Why the hell had I cut myself the day before the Championships? It hurt just to move it, so how would I launch a bey? We weren't battling in the first round, but still. Who knew when a wound like that would heal? I was such an idiot.

I desperately tried to keep my thoughts on something harmless, something that wouldn't end up hurting me. But whichever direction they travelled in, Jeci's face always came swarming into my mind, taunting me with his cruel words.

_Why bother? _he sneered. _No matter what you try to convince yourself, deep down you know you're worthless. Your purpose in life is to be used as a tool in my projects._

"No!" I screamed out at plain air. Part of me knew that the voice was imaginary, but I was horrified, because I knew he was right.

_Look at yourself, _he whispered darkly. _No family, no friends. But you have a knife. _The words hurt me almost as much as his tests, but I couldn't ignore them. True. Every word was true.

_If you're going to all this trouble to hurt yourself, why don't you just come back? I'll let you use all my toys. No one will interrupt or interrogate you. Just you, locked in a room with the box. _

No interruptions. No interrogations. _Yes. _I found myself actually agreeing. He'd said, _just me_. He wouldn't be there to torment me. I would be all alone. I walked through the dense forest almost mindlessly. Yes. I didn't need anyone. Not Sophie or Wales or Julian. I didn't remember my past, so what did it matter?

I had agreed wholeheartedly, and I was in a daze, so I didn't see Wales until I crashed into him. Then reality struck. I clutched him like a lifeline, heart pounding. Jeci had almost convinced me to become his slave once again.

He drew me away and demanded, "Where have you been?"

"None of your business." Tears streamed down my cheeks as Jeci's face slowly disappeared from my mind. The imprint of our 'conversation' was left on me, though, and I felt violated and useless.

He surveyed me for a second. Then he sighed. "Let's go."

I readily followed him out of the woods, and into the mansion. Boy, was I in for it…

The moment I walked in, Julian declared, "You're under house arrest."

I actually thought this unnecessary, because I didn't want to step out of this place for a while either. But I just nodded and walked briskly to my room. What had I thought earlier? A walk wouldn't hurt? Well, I stand corrected.

I felt broken.


	10. The World Championships Begin!

**Riko's P.O.V:**

"RIKO!"

"Go away," I mumbled, snuggling deeper into the thick comforter. My face was buried in the pillow. I didn't want to get up.

"Riko," Madoka said more gently. "The World Championships are today."

"I don't care – wait, _what_!?" I gasped, sitting straight up.

"Yeah. And we're deciding who's battling who, so you might want to get ready to join in."

I didn't need to be told twice. I finished brushing and showering quickly and stormed up to the team. Everyone flinched at my arrival. Tsubasa was the first to recover. "We're deciding –"

"Yeah, I know," I interrupted.

"Riko…" Yuu looked like he was about to burst into big fat baby tears. "I'm sorry!"

I softened slightly. "It's all right. I'm fine."

"I decided to let you battle in my place," he declared.

"Wow, that's really…" For a second, I forgot that he was involved in the graffiti incident. And anyway, he was just a kid. If anything, those two put him up to it. "Thanks."

"So, who do you –"

"Chao Xin." The words slipped out of my mouth so quickly I even surprised myself.

"What?" Masamune protested. "But I need to win to even out the score!"

"Well, on normal circumstances, I'd let you, but I _need _to battle him," I shot back. "I wouldn't even be in this situation if it weren't for you and Gingka!" Done with my outburst, I collapsed in a chair.

Masamune was quiet. Then he said, "Right. You battle him. But just so you know, it was Gingka's idea."

"Hey!" Gingka glared at Masamune, but I intervened.

"So it's settled. Gingka's obviously battling the leader, so yeah." Madoka looked concerned, but whatever she was going to say, I interrupted her, "When are the Championships?"

"In three hours," she replied.

_Three hours._ To tell the truth, I had no desire to see Chao Xin, let alone battle him. Whatever had possessed me to go against him, it was gone now and all I wanted to do was sulk in bed. But of course, I had no choice. Yuu had so _graciously_ given me a chance to battle, and it probably not come for a long time again. Might as well enjoy it while I could.

Of course, it would be hard to enjoy anything now.

**Angel's P.O.V:**

_Great, _I thought as I combed HD Academy, not sure exactly where I was supposed to be going, or whether I was supposed to be going anywhere at all. I was frustrated with my barren room, so I decided to explore. But so far, my decision was merely annoying me further.

My heart was pounding with anxiety, but I didn't know why. My fists were clenched tightly, so hard that my knuckles were turning white. What was going on with me? I was rarely _this_ agitated. I blamed almost being drowned for my attitude, but I knew that that wasn't the case. Irritation was building up inside me, threatening to burst. So when I ran into Zeo, I just couldn't take it.

"What do you want!?" I blurted out. He looked at me funny. I lowered my gaze, berating myself for the sudden reaction. "Sorry. I feel weird today."

"If this is about the towels…" he trailed off.

"You think this is about the towels?" I asked incredulously. "To be honest, I don't know what's gotten into me. I'm lost, and frankly irritated with everything."

"The Arrangement," he whispered.

"What?"

"Ziggurat did say that after the Arrangement you'd feel different, but I thought he meant, you know, power."

"Well, whatever happened to me, I don't like it," I stated. "When do you think the effects wear off?"

"I don't know," he confessed, "I don't even know if they're temporary."

I groaned. "Great."

Awkward silence.

Then,

"Well, have _you _had an Arrangement?" I questioned.

For a second, he was quiet. Then he sighed. "No, not yet. I know when Ziggurat directly tells me to have one, I won't be able to argue. But for now, I'm just trying to avoid it."

"So, how did you get on the team anyway?" This question had been bugging me all night and I couldn't hold it in.

He shrugged. When he realized I wouldn't let the topic drop, he sighed and said, "Well, it was a rainy evening. I was standing under a streetlamp when all of a sudden, I saw Ziggurat walk towards me. Somehow, he knew everything about me. My name, my problems – and most importantly, the solution."

"What was the problem?" I prodded.

"Well, see, I have this friend, Toby. He's really sick, and he's just getting worse. So when Ziggurat said he had the cure, well, it was too good to be true."

"It probably is," I said sourly. "So he agreed to cure Toby if you joined. That's the story?" Zeo nodded. "And did he cure him?"

He looked away. "He said he'd cure him if I showed results. Ziggurat believes that the only way to do so is through Arrangements. So I stopped asking him."

"But it doesn't make any sense," I realized.

"What? It makes perfect sense. I show results, Toby gets cured."

"But why would he care about your friend? Why would he want you on the team anyway?" The words came out harsher than I had intended, but I let that slide by.

"Maybe because I'm a lot stronger than I was before," he said indignantly.

I took a step back, slightly alarmed by the intensity of his words. "I'm _sorry_, I didn't mean –"

"Of course you did. Why else would you ask that?"

"I was just wondering," I chose my words carefully, "why he'd choose you among everyone else. I mean, yeah, you're pretty strong, but there are millions of bladers in the US."

"I don't know," he said. The offence in his eyes dissipated. Now just confusion remained. "I don't get it either. Are you done with your questions?"

"Yes."

"Good, because I have one. How did you manage to get yourself completely soaked?" he asked.

I saw no reason to tell him I'd been trying out for all the teams. "I drowned," I said flatly.

"You can't be serious," he said, bemused.

"It's true. I fell into a sewer – er, water main – and got washed up in the Pacific Ocean." I shuddered as the thought of the shaking sewer came into mind. Someday, I was going to murder Marcus.

"Wow," is all he said.

"Where are we going?" For the first time, I realized we had been walking.

"To Ziggurat and the rest of the team."

"What are they like?" I questioned, curious.

"Aliens," he answered, "you won't like them, especially if you're still annoyed with everything."

I shrugged – I felt slightly better now, but it was only partly because I could blame the Arrangement for my actions.

Yes, something was definitely fishy about Ziggurat.

**Riko's P.O.V:**

I could see him.

He looked handsome as usual, with his perfect brown hair and perfect tan and perfect everything else. But he was avoiding my gaze. _Because he feels guilty too, _I thought. Then I shook my head. _You wish, _I told myself harshly. It was all my fault. I could have apologized, but _no_. I had to fight fire with fire, and I now had to face the consequence; I was getting burned.

His hundred screaming fans looked like they wanted to run out of the stands, into the stadium, and glomp him. Which led me to believe that what had happened yesterday was a good thing – better than being heartbroken later on. But now that I thought about, I was heartbroken anyway. It couldn't have been much worse if he'd indirectly broken up with me.

I sighed. Time for my moment. As the Chinese DJ announced my name, I slowly walked up to the stadium. Though a majority of the spectators' eyes were glued on Chao Xin, I saw some boys swooning over me. I rolled my eyes in disgust; I've had enough romance for a lifetime. Or was that what I wanted to think?

He looked slightly shocked that I had chosen to battle him, but he shook it off quickly, readying his bey.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Let it rip!" we both said. Or more like whispered.

For a long while, our beys just circled the stadium. Even the fans seemed to be getting bored. So was I; but we both knew our minds were not on the battle. I didn't know what he was thinking about, but I was mentally conjuring up a long rant about yesterday. Part of it was an apology, but the rest was just things I didn't really mean.

So of course, when he spoke up, I was taken by surprise. I couldn't hear exactly what he said, but I think it was something along the lines of, _I'm sorry._ But that was probably what I wanted to hear – my feelings were getting in the way of my senses, something that has happened before.

"What?" I asked softly. I had no desire to talk to him.

"Look, just forget it," he snapped. "Besides, after this, you're going to leave China anyway, so just focus on the battle."

Something inside me was taking over, and I found myself rolling my eyes. "Like you are." That did wonders to shut him up. "First of all, it wasn't _me_ who played that stupid prank on your temple. I'm not the only person on the team. And second, this was bound to happen anyway, so just –"

"What do you mean, 'this was bound to happen anyway'?" he interrupted.

"_Please_. Anyone could see that you were just using me. Just playing with me. Because of my looks. You never really liked me, not now, not then, and not ever." He tried to say something, but I didn't let him. "Those fangirls always trail you. If you really liked me, you'd tell them to get the hell lost." No one in the stands could hear our conversation, but both our teams could. And they looked surprised.

"Riko," he said, stunned, "you seriously misunderstand me. Those fans have nothing to do with –"

"You're playing with them, too," I retorted. "Just getting their hopes up, so you become more popular. Don't tell me I'm wrong!" I was shouting now, but still the spectators couldn't hear my words. "And you were planning to do the same with me."

"I'm telling you, that wasn't my intention," he insisted. "Yes, I overreacted to the prank, but then again, you did too."

"Yeah. Of course. So this all was my fault." Tears were threatening to spill down my cheeks, but I wouldn't let them. "I didn't do it. Gingka, Masamune and Yuu did."

"I believe you," he said in a more composed tone.

"If only you'd said those words yesterday, I wouldn't be in this mess," I said angrily. "But I suppose I should thank you."

"F-For what?" he asked, taken aback.

"For making me realize the truth. Help save time. The moment I left, you'd have another girl in your arms, wouldn't you?"

"I'm telling you, I really liked you." Up until now, our beys were still circling around the stadium, and the people watching were getting increasingly irritated.

"Yeah, so did I. My mistake." Sarcasm rendered my voice sharp.

"I'm serious."

"Of course. Because of my looks. But you're keeping an eye out for another girl. Just in case you get bored with me."

He shook his head. "I never liked you because of your looks. I mean, yes, they were a factor, but that's not it."

"Then _what is_?" I asked, exasperated.

"Do you really want to know?"

"YES!" I furiously swiped at my eyes, which were wet.

He took a deep breath. "You're funny. Practical. Down to earth." I gaped at him as he continued, "You're not clingy, and you're not afraid to express your opinions even if they'll annoy me. You're not a crazy stalker. It's easy to talk to you, and yes, you're beautiful." Now I was stunned, hanging on to his every word. "You seem nice. You…you're just amazing in every way." He smiled ruefully. "It would help if you weren't so stubborn, though."

I couldn't speak. I could barely breathe. The tears were streaming down the sides of my face now, but I made no move to wipe them away. I just stood there, staring at him. Obviously, I had no idea how he felt about me. When he'd asked me out on the first day, I had concluded it was because of my looks. When really it was just that he had understood so much about me in so less time.

"I…" My voice came back to me. "I…you mean it?" He nodded, somewhat desperately. "I-I'm sorry," I whispered. "I just thought…with all the other girls…that you'd eventually forget about me."

He sighed. "Riko, we could have parted without this conversation, still mad at each other, and I could never forget you. Besides, I should be the one apologizing; it wasn't me yesterday. It just wasn't."

"I'm the one who started the fight."

"If I was blamed for something I didn't do, I would have done the same thing."

Twenty minutes later…

I'd won the battle. But it didn't seem to matter anyway. Actually, I was just relieved it was over, because all I wanted to do now was hug Chao Xin.

The spectators seemed relieved, too. They had no idea about the value of that battle.

When I walked back, all the team said was, "Cool. You won." Madoka gave me a knowing smile, but I just replied with a quiet, "Oh, shut up."

The truth was, my heart was dancing inside.

**A/N: Well, here it is! Nice, long chapter to make up for the kind of-long wait. And I have something to say now. *Clears throat* My school starts tomorrow, so now I can only get a hold of the computer for three hours every Saturday. I know, unfair, but there's nothing I can do. I'll try to update every weekend, but even that's going to be slightly hard. Hope you don't mind the week-long wait, though. **

**Shantel: Of course they mind! They want MORE!**

**Me: Well, like I said, there's nothing I can do. Anyway, I sincerely hope this wasn't boring. I have to go now, so yeah. Read and review, like always! **

**Angel: This time you get Zeo clones too, because Moon finally gave in. And remember!**

**Shantel: Don't put anything metal in microwaves!**

**Riko: And cats have nine lives!**

**Leslie: Which is sad for Zeo.**


	11. Too Much Pressure!

**A/N: Well, sorry for the long wait, but it's all school's fault! *Cries* But then, this chapter's going to be awesome! Angel, Shantel and Riko rolled up into one X3. I had lots of fun writing this, enjoy!**

**Angel's P.O.V:**

As usual, I was following Zeo around because I, myself, was completely lost. And irritated. And confused. And frustrated. And–

_Stop it, Angel, _I scolded myself.

I had come to a huge realization, though; Arrangements made people loopy. Like how I was acting. And now I was going to meet the rest of the team, who could have been having them for months for all I knew. I shivered.

After what felt like a decade, we finally entered a room. It was far from empty – training equipment cluttered it and the air felt thick and humid. But on the bright side, there were only two people standing in the room. One was Ziggurat, and the other looked, as Zeo had described, an alien.

He had aqua-blue hair with a lime green streak, and golden eyes. He was wearing high-tech armor, which might have looked cool if not for the silly modifications. And the fact that Halloween wasn't for a few months. For a moment I considered telling him this, but shook it off: if he really _had_ been having Arrangements for god-knows-how-long, it probably wasn't a good idea.

"Ah, Zeo. Late as usual," Ziggurat greeted us coldly.

"It wasn't his fault," I said somewhat indignantly, before he could reply. "I was lost so he got delayed." I couldn't understand myself; why was I defending him when I wanted to throttle him?

Ziggurat's glasses glinted. Why did they keep doing that? It set off a creepy vibe. "Yes, well," he continued, "glad to see you made it. This is Damian, Team Star Breaker's leader." He gestured to the Halloween dork.

"Um, hi," I said uncertainly, wondering whether I should have kept quiet. He just narrowed his eyes at me. _Weirdo, _I thought.

"Our other member, Jack, is still having a last-minute Arrangement, so he'll show up sooner or later," Ziggurat told me.

"Okay…" All this talk about Arrangements freaked me out. "So what now?"

"Surely you know the World Championships has started," he said, incredulous.

"Yeah, I know that much," I replied, slightly embarrassed. "I mean, who are we battling?"

"Well, our first battle doesn't start till the day after tomorrow, but in the meantime, we can work on your endurance."

My heart sank to my foot. "You mean more Arrangements?"

His glasses glinted again. "No, but how you _battle_ after an Arrangement. Whether or not you can handle the extra power." He glanced at Zeo and Damian. "You two can practice on your own."

I wasn't sure, but that sounded like an excuse to get them out to me.

Apparently I was right, because once they were completely out of earshot, Ziggurat cleared his throat. I looked at him attentively. "I noticed you and Zeo have developed some sort of…bond." He spoke in a low voice. I cringed, because that wasn't true. Or maybe I just didn't want it to be true. I nodded for him to continue.

"Well, as you may know, he still hasn't had an Arrangement," he said. I nodded again. "Your job is to convince him to do just that."

For a second, I was neutral. Then I froze. "You expect _me_ to do that?"

"Well, clearly he's much closer to you than anyone else here, although you just arrived yesterday." He looked at me curiously. "You should be able to do it."

"Um, I don't have very good manipulative skills—"

Ziggurat cut me off. "You didn't need skill to get him to open up and tell you about his past."

I was shocked. "How did you…?" Then it hit me. There must have been security cameras covering the ceiling. I shouldn't have been surprised; The Dark Nebula was almost the same.

"Just be yourself and don't try too much," he told me. "With luck, he'll probably agree with you before the first battle."

I couldn't think of anything to say. So I just nodded, and turned around. "Wait." I stood, poised, at the door. "Where am I supposed to go now?"

He chuckled in amusement. "This place isn't a prison, Angelique. Explore if you wish. Even take a break and go outside. Just know," his voice darkened even more than usual, "that you must come back before four o'clock, or the consequences will be severe."

"Okay," I confirmed, walking out.

_Boy, do I have my work cut out for me…_

**Shantel's P.O.V:**

I lay, cocooned, in a mess of comforters, peeking out from a tiny gap.

I had followed Julian's instructions too well, and I hadn't stepped out of my room, or even my bed, since yesterday. I was too scared to fall asleep; scared that I would be lost in the nightmare that was bound to come.

Jeci's words still ran through my head, each one hurting me like a physical blow.

_Weak. Pathetic. Worthless. Stupid. Waste._

They revolved around and around, until, to my horror, they transformed into my own voice, screaming into my own pillow. There I lay, jeering at myself. Telling myself how meaningless my life was. Never loved. Never comforted. Just nasty thoughts.

I realized tears were pouring out my eyes, which just made me angrier. It just proved I couldn't handle anything life threw at me. I was mad at myself. Mad at everyone in my life. Mad because no one could understand. Mad because sometimes I couldn't understand myself.

Hearing my wails enraged me further. I couldn't take it anymore. I yanked myself out of bed, and walked towards my armoire. Slowly, I opened a drawer. Removing the blue plastic cover, I pulled out a bag. From that, I took out—

A blade.

It glinted silver in anticipation. Shakily, I gripped it in my right hand, the one I had taken my anger out on before. Pain coursed through it, but I ignored it and wiped all thoughts from me. I held out my other arm. Then, in a flash of motion, the steel bit into my flesh. The cut burned. Tears stung my eyes, but I grit my teeth and forced it deeper. Finally, the dark red droplets of blood began to surface. I almost shivered with relief.

Yanking the blade out, I surveyed the gash. The blood trickled out in ribbons now, and I imagined my anger, my memories, all the hatred flowing out with it. I knew it didn't work that way, but making myself believe it was oddly soothing.

Then the pain started.

It gripped my arm like a vice, and I felt my entire body rack from the agony. It hurt, but it wasn't unbearable. I stood up, and eyed the red stains on the floor in horror. I couldn't let anyone know. But then something else had to go wrong.

Someone knocked on the door.

I hastily stumbled to the bathroom, turned on the water to full force, and jammed my arm underneath it. A blast of pain hit it, but at the moment my thoughts were focused on the voice outside.

"…Shantel?" It was Sophie. No, no, no, no! This couldn't be happening!

I inexpertly cleaned the blade and ran to the door. "I'm busy right now!" I yelled.

"The World Championships are today!" she yelled back.

"I…I can't battle today," I said.

"We're not battling today; ours is tomorrow, but maybe you should practice…"

"I'm under house arrest, remember?" I told her. "I'm confined to my room. And I'm…really busy."

"Okay," she replied uncertainly. I could hear her footsteps fading. When I was sure she left, I cleaned up the mess on the floor and sank into my bed, feeling utterly defeated.

**Riko's P.O.V:**

Good news: Chao Xin and I were back together, and I felt great.

Bad news: Tsubasa went psycho on Chi Yun during his battle, and ended up making himself lose. Although, I didn't blame him; that kid was totally mocking him. Anyway, we still had a chance – it was Gingka's turn to battle the leader!

So far, he was completely failing.

"Madoka," I whispered urgently, "if this goes on, Pegasus is going to lose, hands down."

"I know." She gazed at him worriedly. "There has to be some weakness in Zurafa, but I can't pinpoint it!"

"Its fusion-wheel absorbs attacks, but what if he attacks from above?" I surmised.

Madoka blinked at me. "That's actually a really good idea."

"Really?" I was surprised I had thought of it.

"Gingka!" Madoka called out. He turned, looking slightly desperate. "Use your special move!" He seemed to get the hint, nodding before turning away.

Dashan laughed. "No matter how hard you attack, it's useless."

"That's what you think," Gingka declared. "Pegasus, Star Booster Attack!" His bey used the stadium like a ramp and jumped high into the air, before coming rapidly down to strike Zurafa in the face-bolt. A blue aura emanated from it.

"Oh, no you don't," Dashan intercepted. "Solid Iron Wall!" A Yin-Yang symbol appeared briefly over his bey before vanishing, and the collision was unseen by all due to the huge dust clouds billowing over the stadium.

But when the smoke cleared, I was shocked.

Zurafa was spinning just as fast as usual, and it looked like _Pegasus_ had slowed down. "What the—" I didn't complete my statement. It appeared Dashan's special move could ward off any attack, unluckily for Gingka.

Gingka sighed, and muttered something I couldn't hear. But I could see his gestures, and it looked like he was actually giving up. Yuu's customary big fat baby tears were threatening to spill out; he wasn't keen on losing the first round of the World Championships. Masamune just shook his head like he knew this was going to happen all along. Madoka stared at Gingka and Dashan, still trying to find a defect.

No. This couldn't happen. I had to do something!

Without thinking, I yelled, "Don't give up!" He turned around, taken by surprise, and the rest of Team Gan Gan Galaxy also looked at me incredulously. I felt a blush creeping up on my cheeks, but I banished my embarrassment.

"Remember how you won against Ryuga in Battle Bladers?" I prodded, trying to ignore the fact that the whole world could hear me. Gingka's eyes widened. "Yeah. Your friends helped you. They were there for you. And we still are." I didn't know what I was saying, I just kept talking. "So stop feeling sorry for yourself and just win this thing! You know you can do it, and so do we. So what if all of China is against you? There are people out there rooting for us."

Suddenly Yuu jumped up beside me. "Yeah! Win it!" He looked at me as if for approval, and I shrugged. Masamune then pumped his fist into the air, shouting, "Yeah!"

Madoka smiled and said, "We have faith in you."

Gingka was speechless. Then, slowly, he grinned. "Thanks, guys."

"Do you really think a cheerleading squad can help you win against me?" Dashan asked incredulously.

"No, but I know something that can, and I've been missing it this whole time," he answered coolly.

"And what is that?"

"Spirit!" Gingka yelled, fired up once more. "I can always count on my friends. They're always there for me. And their faith reminded me of my spirit!"

I had to smirk. _Well played, Gingka. _

"Pegasus, Star Booster Attack!" he commanded.

"You're not winning this!" Dashan grit his teeth. "Crushing Blast!" Zurafa was surrounded by a ring of fire, and I was physically blown back when the beys made contact. Madoka supported me and we watched flames soar into the sky, but the blue aura overtook everything.

"And the winner is…" The Chinese DJ peered into the stadium. "Wow! The winner is Gan Gan Galaxy's leader, Gingka Hagane!"

Sad to say, Dashan looked downcast, staring at his bey as though trying to burn a hole through it.

Then Chao Xin spoke.

"Lighten up, Dashan," he said. The Leader looked at him, quite annoyed. But he wasn't done yet. "So what if you lost? It was only one loss. We can practice more together later on."

For a second, I thought Dashan was going to kick Chao Xin, but instead, he smiled, something he rarely did – I could see that he had let himself break a tiny hole in his stone barrier of responsibility.

"You are right," he told him, "the legacy of Beylin Temple is not lost yet." Then he turned to Gingka. "Good battle."

"Gingka grinned. "Right back at you!"

When he walked up to the stands, Madoka threw her arms around him, hugging him. I watched, smiling, as they embraced. Yes, some of us had had a difficult time in China.

But it all worked out in the end.


End file.
